Lower Back Pain Causes, Investigation and Treatment

Low back pain is a usual symptom among the modern civilized people. It affects mainly the middle aged and young adults of both sexes. People who work on the chair with out exercise and those who carry heavy loads regularly are prone to get this complaint. We can hardly find a person who has not suffered from back pain at least once in life. The causes of lower back pain ranges from simple reasons like muscular strain to cancer of spine and hence backache should not be ignored. The pain is felt in lumbar and sacral region and may radiate to nearby sites.

The following are some causes for backache.

1) Backache due to diseases in the back.
2) Backache due to gynecological problems.
3) Backache due to problems in other parts of the body.

1) Backache due to diseases in the back:--

a) Injuries :

1) Compression fracture of the vertebral column.
2) Rupture of intervertebral discs.
3) Injuries to ligaments and muscles of back.
4) Lumbosacral strain.
5) Intervertebral joint injuries.
6) Fracture of processes of vertebra.

b) Functional backache due to imbalance:

1) During pregnancy.
2) Pot belly.
3) Diseases of the hip joint.
4) Curvature in the spine due to congenital defect.
5) Short leg in one side.

c) Backache due to inflammatory conditions:

1) Infection of the bone due to bacteria.
2) Tuberculosis of the spine.
3) Arthritis.
4) Brucellosis.
5) Lumbago or fibrositis.
6) Inflammation of the muscles.
7) Anchylosing spondylitis.

d) Backache due to degenerative diseases in the back.

1) Osteoarthritis.
2) Osteoporosis in old people.
3) Degeneration of the intervertebral disc.

e) Tumor in the spine:

1) Primory tumour of the bones in the spine.
2) Metastasis tumors from other sites like prostate, lungs, kidneys, intestine ect.

2) Backache due to gynecological problems:

a) After childbirth.
b) After gynecological operations.
c) Prolapse of the uterus.
d) Pelvic inflammatory diseases.
e) Cancerous lesions of the pelvic organs.
f) Endometriosis.

3) Backache due to problems in other parts of the body.

a) Renal stones.
b) Ureteric stone.
c) Cancer of prostate.
d) Pancreatitis.
e) Biliary stones.
f) Peptic ulcer.
g) Inflammations of pelvic organs.
h) Occlusion of aorta and illiac arteries.

Investigation of a case of backache:

1) Complete blood count.
2) Routine urine examination.
3) Ultrasonography of the abdomen and pelvis.
4) X-ray of the lumbar and sacral region.
5) MRI of the spine.
5) CT scan of abdomen and pelvic region.
6) Examination of rectum, prostate, genito urinary organs.

Treatment of back ache:

1) Removing the cause for backache.
2) Symptomatic treatment.
2) Back exercises.
3) Traction.
3) Yoga.
5) Surgery.
7) Homoeopathy.